AUBURN, Alabama -- Justin Garrett has been through three summers with the Auburn football team and taken part in plenty of captain's practices, the team's annual player-led practices during the period when coaches have to be hands-off.

Something about this summer's workouts feels different.

Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Auburn's entire roster descends for practices led by "captains" at each position, roughly hour-long sessions that last 12 periods on the Tigers' practice clock and cover nearly everything, although the Tigers aren't in pads or doing any hitting.

Each practice begins with position drills, then 1-on-1's, 7-on-7, install period and finishes up with full team drills.

"A lot of people are a lot more focused and paying attention to detail, and the freshmen are all buying into the system," Garrett said. "Nobody wants to go 3-9 again, nobody wants that feeling again."

Fullback Jay Prosch, a clear team leader ever since the new staff took over, has seen an increased dedication and commitment in the weight room, in addition to a better camaraderie on the practice field.

Auburn's Justin Garrett has been pleased with the effort in the team's captain's practices this summer. (Birmingham News / Hal Yeager)

Strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell put a bell in the middle of the weight room. Every time a player lifts a personal record, he's supposed to ring the bell.

On some days, Prosch says, the bell just keeps ringing.

Atoning for the mistakes and disappointment of 2012 is a clear motivator.

"It's a motivator for me, and I think it is for some other guys,"Prosch said. "I definitely think it's part of the fire that we have now."

The success of the captain's practices has hinged on the development of the team's leaders, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Prosch and Dee Ford have been leaders from the start, and Reese Dismukes established himself as a leader during spring practice.

"It's very big, just to have leaders, someone you can rely on," Garrett said. "Everybody's pretty much buying in. Instead of everybody trying to be a leader, people have looked up to one particular person or two individuals."

And Auburn's newcomers have blended right in, at times impressing the holdovers with their work ethic, talent and ability to pick up the schemes.

According to Prosch, the Tigers are going over mostly the basics of both the offensive and defensive schemes.

"When they’re out there, everybody is picking up on the new information quick," cornerback Jonathon Mincy said. "Just to see those boys in action getting reps is a good feeling just knowing we’ve got other people who are going to come in and compete."

All those things put together have led to better team chemistry, an aspect that plays a key role in practices led only by the players.

Without the coaches on the field, there has to be a heirarchy, and establishing team leaders goes a long way.

"I think this summer there’s kind of more morale as far as the team goes," Dismukes said. "There’s more of a gel. I think everybody’s bought in."